Advance (Animus Book 4) Read online

  “Stop hitting me. This wind is messing up all my work,” he grumbled and moved a few strands of hair back into place. “This is our first day as advanced students. I like to make a good impression.”

  “What? That you should be a hairdresser instead of a tracker?” Luke chuckled. “I worry that you’re gonna bring a blow dryer as your sidearm.”

  “I have mods in my helmet for that,” Raul stated and adjusted his jacket. “Style is half the battle. Once we’re out of here and I make a name for myself, I’ll be on the news and in fashion articles all the time.”

  “Heh, soldier chic. I’m sure it’ll catch on,” Cameron jeered.

  “So, guys, what are we waiting for?” Marlo asked, and the group turned to him, “We should head to the theater before all the good seats are taken.”

  “Well, I had hoped we would all get together before going to the introduction ceremony,” Flynn interjected. “Besides, there’s one for every year. The initiates start first right?”

  “No, last, at least this year. The initiates don’t show up for another few days,” Kaiden explained, and the others looked at him in surprise. “What? What did I say?”

  “Nothing. But…I guess it’s strange that you actually know what’s going on with school events. After a year when you seemed to keep your head in the ground, it’s a change of pace,” Amber admitted.

  “Yes. After a whole year, I learned enough to read the pamphlet,” he quipped and rolled his eyes. “Nice of you to notice.”

  “Hey, Kaiden, what’s up with the scars?” Marlo asked and pointed to his face and neck.

  Kaiden rubbed the spot in question and hiked the collar of his shirt up. “Yeah, I got them while having a bit of fun. No worries.”

  “What kind of fun did you have?” Flynn asked mirthfully.

  “The profitable kind,” Kaiden answered and earned a puzzled look from Flynn and shrugs from a couple of the others.

  “Hey, and hi,” a voice called excitedly.

  The group looked in the direction of the greeting. “Hey, Izzy! Silas!” Amber ran to hug her friend as Silas walked past.

  The enforcer clasped Kaiden’s hand and both showed a little force in the greeting. “Trying to show off there, Sy?”

  “Nah, man, just greetin’ ya.” He smiled.

  “It feels like your trying to snap my arm,” Kaiden stated.

  “I’m an enthusiastic greeter. Good to see everybody.” He shook Flynn’s and Cameron’s hands. “It looks like we’re only missing blues and purps.”

  “We probably won’t see them until after the introduction. They have their own thing going on,” Kaiden explained. “I guess with you and Izzy, that’s all of us for now.”

  “What about Chiyo?” Izzy asked as she and Amber sauntered back into the group.

  “She’s already in there, saving us seats in the balcony, but I doubt she can hold that many for long.” Kaiden looked at his list of messages from Chiyo on his oculars’ HUD.

  “Then let’s make a move. There’s no need to keep her waiting,” Flynn declared. “Let’s kick off the new year.”

  As Kaiden entered the side door that led onto the balcony, he took a moment to peer over the edge and saw several rows of Tsuna. It resembled a bizarre art project as various shades of blue moved and shifted in the seats. Their kelp-like hair in various designs and braids danced around with their movements. He looked for Genos and Jaxon and finally saw them at the far end.

  He waved but they didn’t seem to see him, and he wanted to shout but was pulled away by the others. As he followed the group, he sent Genos a quick message to tell him he had arrived and where he was and waited for him to read it. The Tsuna looked up. He wore some goggle-like headgear which Kaiden guessed were oculars for his EI.

  The two friends exchanged gestures of greeting and Kaiden moved on to find Chiyo, who sat toward the end of her row. He wagged his fingers at her and grinned as he approached.

  “It’s good to see you, Kaiden.” Chiyo greeted him with a smile as he sat beside her. “I hope your break went well.”

  “Just peachy,” Kaiden replied as he kicked his feet up and rested them on the railing in front of him. The others took their seats along the row. “How about yours? We only talked a few times, but you said you went back home for a couple of weeks?”

  “Yes, to see my father. It was nice to spend a little time with him, but I spent most of the break working.”

  “Yeah, I remember you telling me you shadowed Laurie.” Kaiden snickered. “I haven’t talked to him at all since last year ended and was surprised that he didn’t fret about me and his precious device away from school grounds for more than a day. He’s something of a trip, isn’t he?”

  “I only talked to him personally a few times. He was quite courteous for a man of his stature and whom most people believe to be a recluse.”

  The ace frowned and slouched in his chair. “Either he’s taking pills, or I bring out the giddiness in him.”

  “He did speak about you, though, and said that you should pay him a visit. When he and I discussed the tests you and I did together, he said—and I quote—‘Kaiden has been an awful handful, hasn’t he?’”

  “Did you remind him I was the MVP in those tests?” Kaiden responded but returned her gaze with a sheepish look. “No offense. You did damn good too.”

  “How kind of you.” She said flatly and chuckled slightly after a moment. “I made sure that your good name wasn’t dragged through the muck, but it didn’t take much. He seems rather enthralled with you.”

  “If only some of the women in my life were half as interested,” Kaiden grumbled. “Still, I guess you’re fit to burst with all that you learned. I can lend an ear until the ceremony starts.”

  “I’ve shared more than enough in our messages. Besides, the work I helped with cannot be freely discussed.”

  “You can tell me, but then you’ll have to kill me?” Kaiden asked cheerfully.

  “More like if I told you, you would be visited by several men who cannot be traced and you would vanish.” Her tone held no joke or sarcasm.

  “Yeah, maybe it’s best you keep it to yourself.” Kaiden coughed, folded his arms, and leaned back.

  “I was joking, Kaiden.” She smiled in response to his relieved sigh. “I haven’t earned sufficient trust to work on something at that level yet. But I did work with a couple of the professor’s personal infiltrators and learned a great deal. They’ve both been in the field for over two decades, and their skills and knowledge are tremendous.”

  “It’s kinda surprising that there are hackers who are so good you seem in awe of them,” Kaiden admitted.

  “There is always room to grow and more to learn, particularly with how fast security adapts and programming changes. What they were able to do with their own skill alone I was only able to keep up with due to assistance from Kaitō.”

  He was openly impressed and wanted to ask what she’d learned and how they could use it in missions, but the lights dimmed as the stage was illuminated. Holoscreens materialized on the front of the balcony and Chancellor Durand’s cheerful face appeared. Kaiden looked through the translucent screens to see the chancellor move to the podium on the stage.

  “Good morning, students and now former initiates,” he greeted them cheerfully. “Welcome to the first day of your second year at Nexus. You fought hard, learned much, and have paved your own road over the first year. Now, it is time to build on that determination and advance.”

  “Kinda sounds like he’s ripping off Sasha’s speech,” Kaiden commented. Flynn shushed him with an elbow in his rib.

  “This year will bring new challenges, and you will have new responsibilities and privileges,” Durand continued. “You are now upperclassmen and other students will look up to you and follow your example. Your trials will be greater, and your courses will be deeper, but that’s merely the start. And, if I were to guess, you would all be disappointed otherwise.”

  At the shouted agreements
and chuckles, Durand nodded and raised a hand to quiet them as he continued. “This academy has earned its elite reputation for the kind of men and women we raise. If you were to balk or leave in fear, that would reflect poorly on us. We are your teachers, so your growth and failures fall on us, but the responsibility and achievements are yours.” His face turned solemn for a moment but quickly relaxed. “There are also the benefits of continuing your studies—better classes, more choice and synapse points, and potentially free time which you can choose how you spend.”

  The chancellor looked off-stage and nodded at someone in the wings. “This year, we shall continue the focus and drive of your first year but will add a few surprises.”

  The chancellor’s face faded from the holoscreens, which now displayed the profiles of the various students and scrolled through them.

  “All three hundred of you passed last year—the first year we’ve ever had with no expulsions or failures. I’m proud of you all. But that means you may have grown comfortable in your status and standing here. Therefore, since you seem capable, we will increase the challenges immediately. I think I wish to see who among you took your vacation as a time of self-reflection or merely as an excuse to slack off.”

  “What’s he on about?” Flynn wondered aloud. Kaiden knocked him in the ribs as payback. “Now you’re simply being childish,” the marksman huffed.

  “You will leave this theater and immediately head to the Animus Center. Over the summer, we added two new wings to the building and increased the capacity by two hundred pods,” Durand informed them. “You will find a pod, and once you sync, you will be sent on a training mission with two teammates chosen at random. Your objectives are unique and your map will be procedurally generated. Your success is dependent on you working together, and your score will determine your starting classes and privileges for the beginning of the year.”

  As the crowd erupted in surprised chatter, the holoscreens disappeared. Kaiden removed his legs from the rail and leaned over to look at Durand, who stood confidently in the center of the stage. “Welcome to the Advanced Class.”

  Chapter Five

  “Hurry up, students. Find a pod and get in,” an advisor yelled and herded the advanced class into the Animus hall.

  “Best of luck to you guys,” Luke called as they turned the corner. “Me and the guys want to check out the new wings and pods.”

  “Do you think they had a new paint job or something?” Kaiden joked. “Let me know how y’all do. Later!” His and Flynn’s teams entered Hall Three.

  “I didn’t think we would be thrown in this quickly,” Flynn admitted as they headed to the far end of the room and the remaining pods. “I’m not complaining. Back in the saddle, I suppose you would say.”

  “I would indeed. So, how random do you think this will be?” Kaiden asked and entered the first available pod.

  “I’m not sure, but I did hear some things discussed during my time working with the Tech Department,” Chiyo answered and selected the pod beside Kaiden.

  “Oh? What has he brewed up now and how are we suckered in?” Kaiden asked, his voice droll and gruff with displeasure.

  “There’s no need to worry about anything malicious. When I worked with the professor, he mentioned that he had updated aspects of the Animus, smoothed out the transition of the sync, and increased the ability of certain processes. The fact that the chancellor mentioned that the maps are procedurally generated and not crafted as usual must mean he’s already implemented the features.”

  “And we’ll probably be the Guinea pigs, joy,” Kaiden muttered.

  “You know, friend Kaiden, you talk about this professor in a rather disapproving tone, but isn’t he the reason you have Chief and that unique device?” Genos asked from the pod across from him.

  “You’ll learn first impressions mean a hell of a lot on Earth, Genos.” Kaiden sighed. “And he made a terrible one. Not that I say it to his face, but I sometimes wonder if there’s some sort of self-destruct command in that thing he implanted.”

  “Get ready for sync, everyone,” an advisor instructed as he walked down the hall and inspected the pods. “Are you all ready?” he asked the group.

  “I feel right comfy, but I’m kinda surprised Akello isn’t here. I usually end up with her,” Kaiden noted.

  “Advisor Faraji is working in the new east wing for the time being. She’s overseeing the entire wing,” the monitor stated.

  “Akello got a promotion? I thought she had only been made an advisor last year,” Chiyo commented.

  “That’s not how she sees it.” The advisor chuckled. “But she was a pod tech and Animus instructor before getting the advisor position, so she has the smarts and know-how to be an overseer. But it’s not her official position at the moment. You can ask her once you get back. Closing the pods!” He shouted his last words as the Animus pods sealed.

  The ace relaxed as the now familiar process began and he smiled to himself as he drifted off. He never would have thought that he would consider this almost nostalgic.

  When Kaiden opened his eyes, he wore his normal coat and armor and the HUD of his visor activated as he looked at his surroundings. He was in a rec room—or, at least, what appeared to be a rather lonely one. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged and nondescript. The room had no windows and only a single door in the front.

  A couple of flashes in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Two other advanced students appeared. One was a woman dressed in a dark-gray vest over a long-sleeved black shirt and dark pants with high-heeled shoes. Her short brown hair was cut in a bob with gold stripes on the left. She looked curiously at Kaiden with rounded hazel eyes before they both turned to the third member of their party, someone Kaiden recognized.

  “Mack? Is that you?” he asked in surprise.

  The vanguard spread his arms wide and almost slammed them into the girl. “Kaiden! What’s happening, man?” he bellowed. “Show some love.”

  “I guess I don’t have to worry about being dumped with two scrubs. How have you been since the test?” he asked and raised a fist that the taller man bumped quickly.

  “I’ve done all right. I spent the break working out with my brothers,” he explained and folded his large arms across his even larger chest.

  “Are they here in Nexus too?” Kaiden asked.

  “Nah. Two of them serve in the American Guard, and the other is a Marine in the WCM. They put me through my paces, I can promise you that, but not enough to stop me getting a different kind of action during the break.” He snickered.

  “Has a big guy like you got yourself a big girl, then?” Kaiden inquired.

  “Of a sort—a tourist chick from the east coast. She wanted to see Graceland and take a crawl through Beale Street and all that. I showed her around, and she showed me a good time,” he boasted. “I didn’t get her number or network info, but she found me on my social page before I came back and it seems she might be interested enough to make a return trip next year. Take another ride on the big Mack!”

  Kaiden laughed and shook his head before turning to the girl again, “Sorry there, madame. He’s not always such a dog.”

  “Unless you’re talking hound dog,” Mack jested.

  “Who might you be?” the ace asked her and ignored his friend.

  The girl composed herself quickly. She straightened and held her hands behind her back. “My name is Lancia Guðmundsdóttir, Logistics Division, Diplomat Class.”

  “Good Lord, that’s a mouthful,” Kaiden muttered. “I haven’t worked with a diplomat before, but I can already tell you that you’re definitely ahead of me in that department if we aren’t allowed to negotiate physically.”

  “That would usually be frowned upon,” she stated and still stood at attention.

  “I appreciate the show of courtesy, but you can relax. We’re obviously not the biggest sticklers for conduct here,” Kaiden told her and nodded at Mack who now sat on one of the tables. The top sagged under his massive weig
ht.

  She nodded and relaxed infinitesimally. “Thanks, but as a diplomat, the code of conduct is sacred. Soldiers keep up with weapons skills and conditions, so they are always at peak performance. We constantly practice etiquette and stature to keep our skills up to par.”

  “That’s commendable, but it also sounds like a class I won’t moonlight in anytime soon,” Kaiden snarked. “Do you have any firearms skills or martial training?”

  “I spend most of my points in my class tree and in general talents. I have the basic firearms training that every student learns in prep and in the initiate year,” she explained.

  “So you’re here for something different, which is kinda obvious. I guess you and I will do the dirty work, Mack.”

  “That’s the kind of work daddy likes.” He nodded and punched a fist into his open palm.

  “Simmer down, big guy. We don’t even know what the hell we’re supposed to do yet,” Kaiden admonished and looked around the room. “I don’t see a board or anything. Should we wait for instructions or something?”

  A rapid beeping issued from a small console on a table in the corner. Kaiden glanced at his companions. Mack shrugged while Lancia stepped cautiously toward it. The console continued to beep and a small amber light flashed in sync with the noise. She clicked the answer button.

  “Good evening lady and gentlemen,” a voice greeted them in crisp tones. “This is your mission. You are to escort your team’s diplomat to her shuttle through the terminal beyond the door of this room. Once inside, fly the shuttle to its destination, where you will disembark and the diplomat will meet her contacts. Her objectives will be transferred to her EI at the completion of this message, as will the soldiers’. Your final score will be tallied at the end and will comprise a mix of how many hostiles are eliminated, the number of objectives accomplished by the diplomat during her negotiation, and lives lost. The mission can continue if the soldiers die but if the diplomat falls, the test will end, and you will all fail.”